Chapter 36 - The Way It Always Is (CF)
It was a scene straight out of all the epics Tubba had read as a child. They were stories written and believed, but involved superhuman feats of strength and will, things a mere Clubba shouldn’t have. It required immense courage, fortitude of mind, faith in action. A host of emotions through Tubba, shock, relief... but primarily pride. If they were to succeed in their endeavour, this action would live on in the folklore of Clubbas, where generations of Clubbas would question if their King had ever really done this. “Sarge, Aaron,” Tubba ordered as he placed his hand on the Muth’s trunk. “Take Muth and head over to Forever Forest. Stay with him, and keep your weapons out of sight.” Tubba decided, not wanting to further involve Muth in battle. “Paralus, Clubbette, Shazam, Dibby, Xavier, Gamma,” Tubba took his hand off Muth’s trunk. “Get back into the battle,” he jerked his head to the front of the Clubba Castle, where the two groups were still duking it out. The various airships zoomed overhead, neither side having one sunk, but judging by the black smoke billowing out of some, shrouding the deep blue sky, both sides had sustained heavy damage. “What are you doing, Tubba?” Paralus said questioningly as Tubba’s orders were obeyed, with Aaron and Sarge, weaponless, beginning to take Muth away from Tubba, despite Muth’s protests. They were not angry protests, but rather, they appeared to be fearful. “Hey, it’s okay, Muth,” Tubba coaxed, causing the Muth to relax, before turning to the orange Clubba. “I’m going to reclaim our Kingdom once and for all,” he looked beyond Paralus to the tomb complex wall, where the Koopa King had stood, watching the new developments silently and with interest. “I didn’t know Muths could find it in zem to not be driven by rage and aggression,” Ludwig mused, closing his eyes, highlight a scar that cleaved through the dark green scales just above his eye. “I sank you, Tubba,” Ludwig opened his eyes again, the dark blue irises glinting with malice. “It’s just a shame you von’t be around to live with the momentousness of your discovery.” Tubba could hear the heavy feet of the Muth retreating, but that didn’t distract him from what he knew was going to happen. He had trained his electricity skills for a twofold purpose. Firstly, it would be only outlet to escape the Glitz Pit, and although his tail had been lacerated in the attempt, it had been successful. Secondly, he knew, that if he was to ever reclaim his Kingdom, he would have to battle the King of the Koopas, who was incredibly skilled in electricity. As a bolt of lightning surged down from the sky toward Tubba, Tubba focused all the tiny magical reserves a Clubba would have, all the skill he had honed. Lightning erupted from Tubba’s fingers, a hot white bolt of light searing his fingers, surging out of his red fingers and toward the Koopa King’s own bolt of lightning. The two bolts of light danced together, before colliding head-on in a thunderous echo of sparks and embers, as if the planet itself was tearing itself apart. For the first time since knowing the Koopa King, Tubba saw shock make it’s way onto the face of the enemy that had become all that he hated. “Your electricity skills veren’t this developed last time,” Ludwig oozed out, but Tubba could notice the undercurrent of frustration in his tone. “I don’t rest on my laurels,” Tubba shot back at the Koopa King, feeling like he was talking to the whole Koopa Kingdom. “Not like you. Not like anyone. My meaning in life comes from bettering my skills and in turn making the Clubbas the greatest they can ever be. It’s my duty as the descendant of Cloansar. You underestimate my desire to be a thorn in your side, Ludwig!” He wasn’t sure where the emotion was flowing from, where the words were coming from. It felt natural, he felt as if he was saying something he had always believed. “You don’t have any laurels to rest on, Tubba,” the Koopa King pointed out. “You’ve never been anysing, you’ve never been lauded for any of your failures, and rightfully so.” Ludwig drew his wand from his shell and pointed the sparking blue orb directly at Tubba. “And zis time, you von’t live to experience your vorst one.” Tubba leapt out of the trajectory of the dark blue fireball that was sure to be fired his way in the next second, watching as Ludwig corrected his aim. He scooped his club up off the ground, hearing the telltale whoosh of the fireball as it blazed away from it’s creator. Pivoting and placing the iron head of the club in the way of the fireball as quickly as he could, he felt the knockback from it smashing into the club, but remained unhurt. Not bothering to engage in banter with Ludwig this time, Tubba scrambled up the rubble of the tomb area wall, his knuckles scraping painfully against the sharp stone. Ignoring the scales shearing away, he heaved himself onto the top of the stone barrier, before turning and facing Ludwig over the gap in the wall Muth had created. The wall was wide enough for Tubba to stand comfortably, but if he was to sidestep or leap into the air, he risked falling off and onto the sand. It was symbolic, Tubba thought dryly. The once-King of the Clubbas had been on the sand, looking up at the Koopa King, but now he was standing on the same plane, looking at Ludwig eye to eye across the stone walls. Ludwig was larger than Tubba, and Tubba noted that he was having more difficulty staying balanced on the wall of the tomb enclosure. “We’re going to win this, Ludwig,” Tubba said confidently, his words punctuated by the first casualty of the air battle above. A Koopan airship swerved out of the sky and crashed into the sea just beyond Clubba Cliff with a thunderous bang, likely taking out some of the naval forces Ludwig had positioned there. “How can zat be, vhen you cannot defeat me?” Ludwig twitched his wand in his hand, before pointing it at Tubba again. “I am the most accomplished magician to ever live. You are a mere Clubba.” Ludwig chuckled a little, and Tubba knew he believed what he was saying. It wasn’t without basis. “You’re fighting out of nothing but a latent desire your father had,” Tubba challenged. “The desire to rule the world, a desire he could never act on.” It was common knowledge that Bowser always wanted to rule the world, but every time he was embarrassed by a slightly portly plumber, being defeated in the most gruesome ways which contributed to his early death. “You’re fighting out of nothing but a desire your father, and his father, and all your ancestors had.” Ludwig riposted, demonstrating his knowledge of Clubban history. “You vanted to rule the world, too. You ruled over zee Koopas for centuries. Retribution vill come, Tubba, and there’s no way to determine who is truly right and who is truly wrong!” Tubba knew this, but he wasn’t trying to justify that the Clubbas were morally right. He was trying to distract Ludwig, and he knew he had by drawing on millenia-old prejudices. Leaping for Ludwig, clearing the gap Muth had created easily, Tubba was surprised to see how quickly the Koopa King moved, leaping backwards and avoiding Tubba’s attack. Now that they were on the same portion of wall and within striking distance, Tubba swung his club, only for Ludwig to evade it and easily keep his balance. “You want to play that game?” Ludwig goaded Tubba, before leaping backwards further, careful to turn with the wall as it snaked back toward the Clubba Castle. “See if you can keep up.” The Koopa King turned his back to Tubba, racing along the hard rock wall before jumping the slight distance over the Clubba Castle courtyard and onto the stones of the Castle. Tubba snarled to himself, seeing the Koopa King getting away, scaling the Castle through the jutting rocks and gutters faster than Tubba thought a being of his size could move. Refusing to let his doubts sway him, Tubba raced across the wall faster than Ludwig had, before leaping over the courtyard, memories of a failed similar jump in the Zaz Kingdom prevalent in his mind. He landed heavily against the stone exterior wall of the Clubba Castle, ignoring his thick belly scales scraping away, he quickly found a foothold, his red hands clasping around some rivets in the rock. Loose stones fell past his shoulder, and Tubba saw the Koopa King scrambling up the Castle wall like a four-legged spider, higher and higher. Determination hardening in his belly, Tubba followed the lead of Ludwig, making sure to not look down at the ever-increasing drop. If he was to miss one step, slip off the rock, it would all be over. Furthermore, he had a disadvantage, having to carry his club at all times. This was incredibly dangerous, and Ludwig had the security of knowing he could save himself if he fell. This was playing right into Ludwig’s plan, but there was nothing Tubba could do to prevent it. He had Ludwig in his sights, and he wasn’t about to let the Koopa King go. It could’ve been minutes, it could’ve been hours. The sky darkened around the two climbing figures, steadily higher and higher, steadily making it more and more uncomfortable to place their feet and hands, but Tubba knew he had to catch up to Ludwig, who was climbing some way above his head. Relief seized him as the Koopa King slipped into a window barely visible in the dusk light, and he found extra energy to race after him. Vaulting into the hallway the window opened into, relieved to be away from the precipitous drop, Tubba saw the Koopa King facing him, and realized there was nothing he could do. He had walked right into Ludwig’s trap. There was no time to even curse himself for falling victim to such a rookie trick. The wand was pointed straight at his heart, and was just inches away, and Tubba knew of the shot that had killed Gonzales. Tubba closed his eyes. A grunt, and then the sounds of the blast connecting the faux wooden interior wall behind him, the piercing of splinters on what remained of his tail told Tubba that it wasn’t over yet. Opening his eyes, he saw a teal Clubba wrestling with Ludwig on the floor. “Chubba!” Ludwig kicked Chubba off him after a few moments of wrestling, and grabbed his wand. Before either Clubba could do anything, Ludwig swung his wand around. A heavy iron cage descended around both Clubbas, and to Tubba’s eye, looked impenetrable. Ludwig pushed himself to his feet, glaring daggers at the two Clubbas now entrapped. “The vinner. Fights me. The loser. Dies.” Ludwig pointed his wand into the cage, and Tubba and Chubba allowed their eyes to meet. It was very clear what was going to happen. It was the way it always was. Tubba against Chubba. This time, however, the loser would not be allowed to live. The way it always is. Chubba against Tubba.